STRENGTH & CONDITONING IN SPORTS ELITE PERFORMANCE
Early on in
our history, it became an evolutionary necessity for humans to be able to
travel from A to B quickly. It became essential for survival, whether it was
for chasing down prey or outrunning predators. Fast forward a couple of hundred
thousand years however, this is no longer the case. We can simply shop for our
food and the likelihood of needing to outrun potential predators has somewhat dwindled. That does not mean,
however, that sprinting no longer bears any benefits.
As a
society we are unconsciously obsessed with the notion that the longer the
distance we can run then the fitter we are. Think about it, whenever we aim to
improve our fitness, we tend to go on long runs rather than complete a series
of short, intense sprints. Though this notion may be true to an extent, fitness
is about far more than just the distance you can run! I promise you, just because you can run mile after mile at a steady state does not for a second mean you will be able to breeze through a sprint endurance session!
Sprinting
can result in various physiological and other health-related benefits when
performed properly and regularly. So, here are a few such benefits…
1. You can
do it anywhere! The financial benefit of sprinting is that you do not need to
pay for specialist equipment or a gym membership to complete a sprint session.
It can be done anywhere from your local park, your local street, your own back
garden if it is big enough or you can even, if you have no other option, sprint
on the spot in your home. It’s that easy.
2. It
improves body composition. Body composition is our body’s fat-muscle ratio.
Various studies have concluded that sprinting is far superior than steady state
running in burning fat and building muscle. It causes adaptions at a cellular
level. Such adaptions include improved protein and oxygen synthesis in the
muscles, helping to build muscle, and a metabolic ‘afterburn effect’. This
‘afterburn effect’ is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC.
Simply put, our bodies continue burning calories even after we have finished
the sprint session.
3. It
improves cardiovascular fitness. Sprinting is considered to have many
cardiovascular advantages over steady state running. This is because repeated
high intensity intervals lead to an increase in glycogen stores of up to 20%,
increase oxygen uptake and increases the body’s ability to remove waste
products during exercise, leading to a 50% increase in muscle buffering
capacity.
4. Improves
glucose control. Research published in BMC Endocrine Disorders suggested that
sprinting reduces the risk of high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure,
as well as improves cholesterol levels, cut abdominal fat, and improves sugar
metabolism; this reduces the risk of dangerous glucose build-ups which can lead
to Type 2 Diabetes.
5. It
improves speed. Muscle fibres are classified into three types: type 1
(slow-twitch) and types 2a and 2b (fast-twitch). Sprint training increases the
volume and strength of the fast-twitch fibres thus increasing overall sprint
speed.
6. It
reduces risk of cognitive decline. Sprinting helps with mental quickness and
reaction time: which, evidence suggests, reduces the risks of cognitive decline
and conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia as we age.
7. It
reduces stress. After a sprint session, Endorphins are released, causing
adrenaline and cortisol levels to drop, and reducing stress and anxiety,
subsequently leading to a decreased risk of mental problems such as depression.
For more information about the benefits of sprinting and other forms of high intensity interval training, or to see how you can introduce sprinting into your fitness routine, get in touch with one of our strength and conditioning coaches at the MY Sports Injury Clinic in Manchester!